Socket for electric lamps



1" N. NAP OLEON SOCKET FOR ELECTRIC LAMPS March 17, 1942.

Filed June 2, 1941 gym; 1/? Ara w man.

m ,7; Z p t 1 Patented Mar. 17, 1942 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE SGCKET FOR ELECTRIC LAMPS Titus N. Napoleon, Honolulu, Territory of Hawaii Application June 2, 1941, Serial No. 396,301

1 Claim. I (Cl. 176-31) The invention relates to means for preventing the removal of the standard electric lamp having a threaded base adapted to be screwed into a corresponding receptacle, from such receptacle, except by the use of a special key. It is an important aim of the invention to provide a novel form of locking device by which a lamp may be locked in the receptacle. While the invention is at present developed and shown as a socket to use upon threaded base lamps, the disclosure will make apparent how it may be utilized upon various lamps which require to be rotated in the receptacle in order to remove the lamp from the receptacle.

An important object of the invention is to present a lock unit which may be installed upon common receptacles of standard manufacture, without requiring modification of the manufacture of the receptacles in a material degree, and without requiring modification of lamp construction and its base form; and which will not interfere with standard assembly practices in the manufacture of electric lamps.

Another important aim is to present a locking device of this character which will be inconspicuous, inexpensive, efficient and durable, and liable in a minimum degree to derangement incident to ordinary use or effort by an unauthorized person to remove lamps from receptacles equipped with my invention. A further important object of the invention is to present a device of this character which may be used upon keyless sockets or receptacles, and also upon those having the usual switch key by which the light may be turned off or on at the receptacle, and which may be used with various other types of switchequipped receptacles, without interfering with or impairing the normal use of the same.

Additional objects, advantages and features of invention reside in the construction, arrangement and combination of parts involved in the embodiment of the invention, as will be more readily understood from the following description and accompanying drawing, wherein Figure l is an elevational view of a receptacle equipped with my invention, in which a lamp is engaged.

Figure 2 is an elevational View of the same unit, taken from the right-hand side of Figure 1, portions being broken away to show the manner of engagement of the lock arm or bolt with the strike device on the lamp base.

Figure 3 is a horizontal sectional view on the line 3-3 of Figure 2, looking downward.

Figure 4 is an enlarged vertical cross sectional view of the lock device ure 1.

Figure 5 is a detail perspective view of the lock key,

Figure 6 is a similar view of the cylinder element,

Figure 7 is an elevational view of a lamp base showing the strike lug thereon.

There is illustrated a lamp receptacle Hi, which may be of conventional construction throughout, with the exception that an opening II is formed through the wall of the outer shell at such position that the skirt of the lamp base will stop outwardly of the inner end of the slot, and a similar registered slot is formed through the threaded contact sleeve within the receptacle, as well as through the intervening insulation customarily used in such receptacles. Engaged in the receptacle there is an electric lamp l3, comprising the usual glass bulb portion and a base [4 fixed on the bulb, and having the usual thread l5 thereon, these threads being formed on a metal skirt sleeve as usual, which is fixed upon an insulating body It, centrally of whichthe axial electrode or contact I! is formed on the on the line 4-4 f Figbase. Fixed upon or formed as a part of the insulating element It, there is a laterally projected lug l8, which is also preferably of insulating material, extended beyond the sleeve I4 from the termination of the thread 15 in the direction of the center electrode ll. This lug also is extended radially from the base insulating material It to a distance preferably not greater than the radius of the root of the thread l5, although it may be extended as far as the apex of the thread, if formed with transverse recessed parts corresponding to the space coordinately with the root of the thread.

If desired, in some uses the lug it may be a metal element welded or secured by solder to the threaded sleeve portion I5 of the base, especially where the lamp otherwise adapted for use with my invention is to be arranged for use in my new receptacle, or a receptacle equipped with my looking device.

There is also illustrated a locking device which may be produced as a part of the receptacle in manufacture, or which may be applied to standard forms of receptacles already manufactured, by soldering or welding and by the formation of the proper slots at H and I2, as before indicated. This locking device comprises a lock case portion I9, which includes a cylindrical barrel portion 20 at its lower part, from which the case proper I9 is extended upwardly, and has incorporated therein the usual spring-loaded tumblers or wards 22, coactive with a cylinder 2| shown in Figure 6, which is otherwise freely revoluble in the barrel portion 20. The tumblers are formally illustrated at 22 in Figure 4, the cylinder 2| being shown with the two-piece tumbler or tumbler and ward in locked relation to the cylinder, the cylinder having bores alined with those of the case, and having a key slot 23 with which the bores of the cylinder communicate, so that a key inserted in the slot from the outer end of the cylinder will raise the wards until the tumblers clear the cylinder, when the cylinder may be rotated in the barrel by means of the key 24, shown in Figure l. The cylinder is held in the barrel 2|] by means of a tenoned screw 25, engaged through the barrel and projected into a circumferential slot 26 formed on the cylinder, so that the cylinder is thereby held against longitudinal movement in either direction, when the screw is in place.

At one end the cylinder 2| is extended outwardly from the barrel 20 beyond the case I9, and formed with a radial arm 21, adapted to swing toward and away from the slot by operation of the key 24, and being so positioned on the cylinder that it will lie closely over the slot nearly or quite against the side of the receptacle when the key slot 23 and the bores of the cylinder are alined with the, tumblers 22. Provided as a continuation of the arms, there is a stop or look fingers 28, of such length and so shaped that when the cylinder is in locked position as last mentioned, and as shown in'Figure 4, the finger 28 extends through the slots H and I2, and into the space within the receptacle beyond the threaded sleeve portion l5 of the base, and in position to engage the lug I8, in case the base is rotated in the receptacle.

In the use of my invention, the receptacle it being slotted properly at H, and I2, the case IQ of my invention is adjusted against the side of the outer shell of the receptacle, immediately beyond the shoulder 29, customarily formed on such receptacle, and a quantity of solder 3% applied so as to hold the case 19 against the side of the receptacle, the case being so positioned that upon rotation of the cylinder 2| by the key, the finger 28 will swing into the slot II and into the receptacle as indicated, and as shown in Figure 2. The slots are of such length as to permit the clearance inwardly of the finger necessary to permit the swing of the finger, as described.

It is important to note that the illustrations in Figures 1, 2, 3, and '7 are full size of the completed article, from which the small size of the locking unit, as compared to the receptacle may be appreciated, the lock having been actually constructed in this size and found to operate with highly satisfactory results.

In order to place a lamp in the receptacle, it is necessary to insert the key and swing the finger 28 out of the receptacle by rotation of the cylinder, this being effected by a twist on the handle portion of the key 24; as shown in Figure 1. It will be observed that in the unlock position of the device, the key cannot be removed. The lamp being screwed into place, so

that the contact I! is engaged with the usual central contact in the receptacle, the strike lug l8 may be at any place in the path which it follows in the rotation of the lamp for removal. However, it is considered desirable that it should be spaced about degrees from the finger 28 when the lamp base is screwed into good tight engagement with the central contact of the receptacle. Should this distance be greater, however, the device will still function, as will be understood from the nature of the article. The lug being of sufiicient length longitudinally of the lamp to include the finger 28 in its path when unscrewed sufiiciently to be brought against the finger. The lamp being screwed into place, as desired, the key 24 is rotated to swing the arm 21 inwardly again so that the finger 23 lies projeoted well into the receptacle adjacent the insulating body l6 of the base of the lamp. The key may then be removed, which permits the tumblers 22 to be forced into the bore of the cylinder 2|, so that rotation of the cylinder is now prevented, and the finger 28 is locked in its position within the receptacle. Should any attempt be made to remove the lamp by an unauthorized person or without the use of the proper key, the unscrewing of the base in the receptacle will bring the lug l8 into engagement with the finger 28, stopping further rotation of the lamp, and preventing its removal.

Removal of a lamp when necessary may be efiected by reinserting the key, and rotating it to withdraw the finger 28, as will be readily understood.

It will be readily appreciated that welding or other means of fastening the lock base l9 upon the receptacle l0 may be utilized, either following conventional practices or utilizing some special fasteners which may be desired.

While I have given a specific disclosure of my invention as it has been heretofore constructed, and which is the best method which I have as yet devised for its embodiment, it will be readily appreciated that various changes in arrangement, construction, and combination of parts,

substitution of equivalents, and materials, may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention, as will be more readily understood from the claim hereto appended.

I claim:

In a device of the character described comprising a receptacle for rotatively secured lamps, a lock device consisting of a case and a revoluble cylinder therein, slotted to receive a key in one end, key released plungers for locking the cylinder in one position, an arm at the end of the cylinder opposite the key slot movable with the cylinder toward and away from the case, said case being slotted to receive said arm therethrough at the inner limit of movement of the latter, a lamp base for engagement in the receptacle adapted to be secured and released by rotative movement in respective directions, and having a lug thereon which at engaged position of the lamp is aligned for movement in a path into which the end of said arm projects when at the inner limit of its movement.

TITUS N. NAPOLEON. 

